The invention relates to a take-off comb for a knitting or looping machine.
In a knitting or loop-forming machine, the stitches have to be taken off the needles after the loop-forming operation. To do so, a take-off comb is frequently used at the start of the knit fabric. This comb is also used to catch a first row of stitches and to take this first row of stitches off the knitting sites in a controlled manner.
Such a take-off comb has been known from document DE 40 03 667 A1, for example. There, the comb is located below the comb gap formed between two needle beds and can sink into said beds. As its base body, this take-off comb comprises a longitudinal profiled body which represents a take-off needle support. It is provided with a row of needle grooves which are arranged parallel to each other and in which take-off needles are seated. Each take-off needle has a needle body in which a slider is supported in a sliding manner. A transverse ledge holds the ends of the sliders in order to move them in a manner synchronous with respect to each other in longitudinal direction of the needles and, in so doing, opens or closes the hook of the needle. The transverse ledge is adjusted by a cam plate having a rocker which translates a longitudinal motion of the cam plate into a transverse motion that is transmitted to the transverse ledge.
The manufacture of such a take-off comb is relatively expensive. This is justified by the precise specifications required for such a take-off comb, in view of its support and positioning of the closing elements.
Considering this, it is the object of the invention to provide a simplified take-off comb for a knitting or loop-forming machine.